Method of and apparatus for treating and handling material



Jan. 9, 1934. -Y 1,942,855

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Dec. 18, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 wia f ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 9, 1934. J L CQONEY 1,942,855

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING MATERIAL Filed D60. 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 9, 1934. J. COQNEY 1,942,855

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND HANDLING MATERIAL Filed D80. 18, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 3 I E M I I i a 36 E INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John L. Cooney, Erie, Pa.

Application December- 18, 1931 Serial No. 581,921

17 Claims.

The present invention is designed to improve the methods of treating and handling material, particularly paper making material, such as rags. In the common method of treating such material and delivering the same to the beaters, the rags are cut and carried in dry form to the heaters at different locations relatively to the cutter. Ordinarily the cut rags are weighed so as to properly load each individual beater. The preliminary treatment of the rags to the beater, as

commonly practiced, therefore, involves the cutting of the rags which produces a great deal of dust and creates a very serious fire hazard, the weighing of the material in the fluffy state, or expanded condition in which it is after being cut, the carrying of the material usually by trucks from the cutter to the beater, and the handling of the materials from the trucks to the beaters. In the present invention, the material is weighed prior to cutting for each beater batch, the material cut, and delivered directly to conduits supplied with water, the water soaking up the rags and as they are soaked up carrying them to the point of delivery to the beater. The water thus used for wetting and conveying the rags supplies, when delivered to the beater, a part at least of the water for beating the rags. In this way the dust is immediately wetted and controlled directly at the point of cutting the rags, the fire hazard is very materially reduced, the weighing of the rags in the bale state is very much more convenient than the weighing of the rags in the cut state, the segregating of a batch for delivery to any beater may be readily accomplished as the rags so conveyed are thoroughly soaked and wetted preliminary to the action of the beaters, the water conveying the rags in a very convenient and simple manner to the heaters, and the delivery of the rags to the beaters may be selectively controlled. There is, therefore, a very great saving of labor, a very great reduction in the fire hazard, a speeding up of the conditioning of the rags for the beater, and a practical elimination of the very objectionable dust which accompanies the usual method of handling the rags with the incident menace to health. Features and details of the invention will appear from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the apparatus is 59 illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a preferable apparatus through which the method may be practiced:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view through a building showing a portion of the apparatus in perspective.

Fig. 2 a section view showing a side elevation of the apparatus.

- Fig. 3 a section of the vertical and lateral conduits with the gate controlling connection between said conduits in closed position.

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4: inFig. 3.

Fig. 5 a section similar to 'Fig. 3, butwith the gate in open position.

Fig. 6 a portion of the distributing conduit with a delivery-gate for delivering material to an 'individual beater, the gate being shown in closed position.

Fig. 7 asimilar view with the gate in open position.

1 marks the cutter floor, 1a and 1b beater floors of a building. Cutters 2 are'arranged on the'cutter floor, the cutters being driven by belts 3 from any convenient-source of power. Cutter spouts 4 deliver through the floor -1. The rags are weighedand brought in bales 5 to the cutters in segregated amounts for abatch for a beater.

A tiltingtrough 6 is arranged below the discharge spouts 4. Thet-ilting trough ishung' on trunnions 7 carried by brackets'8, the brackets 8 beingsecured to the under-side of the floor 1. Thetilting troughmay be inclined in either direction was to induce-a flow to either end of the trough. The troughmay be tilted by means of handles 6a which extend through the cutter floor. Water is supplied to the trough through pipes 6b, one of these being arranged'at each end of the trough'so that water may be delivered at the high end of the trough.

Theends of the trough extend through slots 9-in the upper ends of the vertical conduits 10. Lateral conduits 11 and 12 extend from the vertical conduits and. convey the materialfrom the vertical conduits into position over the beaters 13, the heaters being supplied with delivery chutes 14. Ordinarily the vertical'con--95 duit extends to several floors which -may be supplied with beaters so that a large number of beatersmay be supplied from abattery of cutters on a-cutter floor. A gate 15 is provided for deflectingthe-material from the vertical conduits to the lateral conduits. The gate is troughshaped conforming to the general shape of the lateral conduits having a closing wall 16 at its inner end. This gate is telescopically arranged in the lateral conduits and is movable through openings 18 into and out of the vertical conduit. The gate has a'rack 19 along its upper edges and a gear 20 meshes with this rack. The gear 20 is fixed .on a shaft 21. The shaft 21 is 7 carried in bearings 22 mounted on the sides of the lateral conduit. A sprocket wheel 23 is fixed on the shaft 21 and a chain 2% extends downwardly from a sprocket so that the operator by manipulating the chain may throw the gate into and out of position to deflect the material from the vertical conduit to the lateral conduit. When in the inner position the material is intercepted and carried into the lateral conduit. When the gate is in its outer position, the material bypasses the lateral conduit. Preferably the water is supplied through a pipe 25 which extends through a shaft 26 in the end wall 16. This water is controlled by a valve 27. The introduction of this water assists in forwarding the material as it is deflected, the gate being provided with a deflector plate 17 and the supplemental water is delivered under this deflector plate. As the material passes along the lateral conduit, it passes to the several beaters. Gates 28 are provided in the lateral conduits. Each gate is trough-shaped to form when closed a section of the conduit. They are swingingly mounted on trunnions 29 carried by brackets 30, the brackets 30 extending from the conduit at the discharge end of the gate. The discharge end of the gate overlaps and rests inside of the conduit at the discharge end. The inlet side of the gate overlaps and extends around the conduit at the inlet side. A rib 31 is arranged around the inlet side of the gate and this has an opening 31a into which a latch 32 extends. The latch is mounted on a rib 33 arranged around the-conduit. The latch has a shoulder 34 against which a spring 35 ex erts pressure to yieldingly force the latch forward. An opening cord 36 extends from the latch and over guide pulleys 37 into any convenient position for operation. When the latch is drawn the inlet end of the gate swings down into a corresponding delivery chute 14 so that the gate not only opens the conduit, but forms a guide for deflecting the material into the chute. After the beater is closed, the gate is swung back to closed position, the latch snapping into place and holding it in such position.

In the operation of the apparatus, the material is weighed for a batch, the tilting trough set to the side that it is desired to charge, and a batch cut and delivered to the tilted trough. It is carried from the tilted trough to the vertical conduit, deflected to the lateral conduit on the floor desired, and intercepted at the beater that it may be desired to charge. It will be understood that through signal devices of the operator from the cutter floor to the beater floor the 'side to be charged may be indicated and the times for the delivery of the material for charging a beater may be communicated. By timing the heaters the use of the apparatus may be made practically continuous and the handling of the rags from the cutters to the heaters entirely avoided. The rags, or material. reaches the beaters with the proper treatment. or soaking of the water as they are conveyed and the water wetted material forms a conveying means for convenently carrying the material to the beaters. At

the same time, this water wets the dust and converts what has heretofore been. a very disagreeable and unhealthy condition into one that is comparatively free from dust. It also reduces to a very material extent the fire hazard as the only rags in the loose state are those in the cutter and between the discharge of the cutter and the trough. The time of charging each beater is reduced so that the capacity of the heaters is slightly increased. The total labor involved is 'which consists in wetting the rags remote from and preliminary to their delivery to a beater, and conveying the rags by means of a flow of water in which the Water wetting the rags is utilized to a point of delivery at the heater and utilizing the water conveying the lags as part at least of the water for beating the rags.

3. The method of treating paper making rags which consists in cutting the rags, delivering the rags as they are cut to a bath wetting the rags utilizing the water wetting the rags in conveying the rags to a point of delivery at a heater, and then'utilizing the water conveying the material as part at least of the water for beating the material.

t. The method of treating paper making rags which consists in wetting the rags remote from and preliminary to their delivery to one of several heaters; and conveying the rags by means of a flow of water in which the water wetting the rags is utilized to a point of delivery selectively to the beater desired.

5. The method of treating paper making material which consists in segregating a pre-determined quantity for charging a heater; cutting a segregated amount and delivering it as cut to a bath wetting the material; and utilizing the water wetting the material in conveying the material to the point of delivery.

6. The method of treating paper making material which consists in segregating a pre-deter mined quantity for charging a beater; cutting a segregated amount and delivering it as cut to a bath wetting the material; utilizing the water wetting the material in conveying the material to the point of delivery; and delivering the material with the water used in conveying it to a beater using the water as a part of the water for beating the material.

'7. In a paper material treating apparatus, the combination of an open material receiving conduit and adapted to convey material by the flowing water in the conduit; means delivering wetting and conveying water to the conduit; and a beater to which the conduit leads.

8. In a paper material treating apparatus, the combination of an open material receiving conduit and adapted to convey material by the flowing water in the conduit; means delivering wetting and conveying water to the conduit; a plurality of heaters to which the conduit leads;

and a gate in the conduit opening and closing livering wetting and conveying water to the conduit; and a beater to which the material is delivered.

11. In a material treating apparatus, the combination of a vertically extending conduit having a side opening and a lateral conduit leading from the vertical conduit; and a gate telescopically mounted in the lateral conduit and movable into and out of the opening of the vertical conduit directing material from the vertical conduit into, or past the lateral conduit.

12. In a material treating apparatus, the combination of a vertically extending conduit having a side opening; a trough-shaped lateral conduit leading from the vertically-extending conduit; a trough-shaped gate telescopically arranged in the lateral conduit and extending into the opening; and means moving the gate into and out of the opening to direct material into, or past the lateral conduit.

13. In a material treating apparatus, the combination of a vertically extending conduit having a side opening; a trough-shaped lateral conduit leading from the vertically-extending conduit; a trough-shaped gate telescopically arranged in the lateral conduit and extending into the opening; and means moving the gate into and out of the opening to direct material into, or past, the lateral conduit, the means comprising a rack on the edge of the gate, a gear meshing With the rack, and means rotating the gear.

14. In a material treating apparatus, the combination of a tilting conduit adapted by its inclination to determine the direction of the flow thereof; means for delivering water to the conduit; and receiving conduits at the ends of the tilting conduit, said receiving conduits delivering the material to a desired point of destination.

15. In an apparatus for treating material, the combination of cutters; a tilting conduit to which the cutters deliver the material as cut; means for delivering water to the conduit; and receiving conduits at the ends of the tilting conduit.

16. In a material treating apparatus, the combination of a tilting conduitadapted by its inclination to determine the direction of the flow thereof; means for delivering water to the conduit; receiving conduits at the ends of the tilting conduit, said receiving conduits delivering the material to a desired point of destination; and beaters receiving the material from the receiving conduit.

1'7. In an apparatus for treating material, the combination of cutters; a tilting conduit to Which the cutters deliver the material as cut; means for delivering water to the conduit; receiving conduits at the ends of the tilting conduit; and beaters receiving the material from the receiving conduit.

JOHN L. COONEY. 

